Parachute construction



July 26, 1938. J. H. POOL 2,125,198

I PARACHUTE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 13, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r I I ATTORN EYS.

. July 26, 1938. J, POOL 4 2,125,198

PARACHUTE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 15, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I J05 e h Harbfl' P0 01 ATTORNE S Patented It!!! 26. 1938 PARACHUTE CONSTRUCTION Joseph Harblt Pool, Cranwell, England, assignm-v to Air Chute of Great Britain limited, Letchworth, England, a British company Application December 13, 1937, Serial No. 179,57!

In Great Britain October 12, 193B 4 Claims. (01. 244-142) This invention relates to improvements in parachutes and has particular reference to an improved parachute canopy and rigging construction by reason of which the load will be permitted to glide during a parachute descen without appreciable oscillation.

The danger of parachute oscillation is well known to aviators and it is not infrequent that safe launching are concerned. One of the principal objects of the present invention is to use a regulation circular type parachute canopy and automatically control the air spill from the canopy during -a parachute descent, so as to damp oscillation, entirely through the line or rigging structure. This will permit the novice to use parachutes, since it takes'considerable skill to manually damp out oscillations with a standard parachute.

30 A further object of this invention is the provision of aparachute having a circular type canopy with one or more suspension lines longer than the other lines, so as to permit one portion of the parachute canopy to bulge upward during ,35 a parachute descent; thus permitting air spill at that point and consequently damping o'ut oscillations.

A further object of the invention is'the provision of an improved parachute structure having 40 9. preferably circular type of canopy with shroud cords progressively of varying dimension so that the canopy during descent will be given an angular .tilt to the horizontal.

" Other objects and advantages of the invention 45 will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description. r t

. In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein preferred and modified forms of the invention are shown, 5 Figure 1 is a side elevation of a parachute supporting an aviator during a parachute descent; the improved parachute having a circular.

type of canopy with the supporting lines progressively of different dimensions. 5 Figure 2 is a developed view'of the shroud line vof its regular contour.

structure of the improved parachute shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a developed view of a modified form of parachute shroud line construction in which v one-half of the parachute shroud lines are of 5 the same length, measured from the apex .or margin of the canopy to the point of load suspension,-than are the remaining lines.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a parachute. construction supporting an .aviator during a parachute descent; this construction employing a harness upon which some of the suspension webs are longer than the other suspension webs so that the canopy will be given an angular tilt to the horizontal during a parachute descent for the purpose of permitting air spill and thus damp out oscillation.

Figure 5 is a further modified form of the invention in which one group of the shroud lines, preferably attached to merely one of the suspension webs, are longer than the other shroud lines.

Figure 6 is a developed view of the shroud line structure for the modified form ofinvention shown in Figure 5. r

may designate another form of parachute construction shown in Figures 5 and 6.

'Each form of the invention includes a preferably circular type of parachute canopy II. This canopy may be of standard construction such as is shown in U. 8. Patent #1327372, although it 40 may depart therefrom if desired. The circular type of parachute canopy has been found to be the most eiiicient and the safest to use because The harness generally designated at H is preferably of standard construction such as is shown in U. 8. Patent #1560366 although it may be of the single re-- lease type such as is shown in U. 8. Patent I #1399556 or it may be of the type used with the emergency quick connector pack, such as is I v the shoulders of a wearer; these riser webs exl6 tending above the head of the wearer during a parachute descent. The shroud lines are bunched into four groups, each group being connected to D-rings at the terminals of the suspension webs l2. If it is desired to use an emergency quick connector pack with the parachute harness, the latter may generally be of the construcilon shown in the aforementioned Hamer extends from the harness attached to the load to the marginal edge of the parachute, diametricallyacross the parachute, and thence downwardly at the opposite side of the parachute and continues to form adiametrically opposed shroud line, also connected to the harness, as is shown in the developedview in Figure 2.

In the preferred form of invention A, the shroud lines are of proportionately increasing or decreasing length measured from their connection with the harness to the peripheral edge of the parachute canopy. Thus, as is shown in Figure 2 of the drawings the shroud line 20 from the point of its connection with the harness to the marginal or peripheral edge of the parachute preferably measures 1d 6". This distance is designated at x in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The shroud lines at each side for this same distance fr increase in dimension preferably three inches, and this proportionate increase continues until the shroud line 32 is reached whichis div ametrically opposed to the shroud line 20, and for the distance 3: measures 1'! 16". Thus it can be seen that the shroud lines from the shorter shroud line "progressively increase in length to a point diametrically oppomd to the shroud ,line 20. 'The shroud linesare divided into four groups D, E, F and G, which at their lower ends are tied together, that is, the shroud lines in each group are tied together, or otherwise connected and attached in the usual manner, preferably by D-rings to the four heroes ummon webs II,

"as is shown in Figure lot the drawings. The

length value. of the shroud lines measured for the distance "x" for the twenty-four shroud lines of the parachute are as follows:

- Shroud line No. IAngth i l- 0 and cocoa sat-seas: oewaooua him-@- during a mechutedacenttheplaneinwhiditbelowermargin otthecanopy liawillheatanangle of 11% to the asis e Figure 1. 'Ihecanopy'will'tlnsposltion without any manual in and thus in- III.

suresthat an unskilled individual may drop with the parachute and due to the air spill of the parachute at the up side of the skirt there will be little likelihood of oscillation.

In the form of invention B, shown diagrammatically inFigur-e 3, the shroud lines are di-v of course is likewise measured from the periphery of the parachute canopy tothe point of attachment with the harness or load application. This insures that the parachute canopy at the periph eral edge to which the shroud lines in group ii are attached will be at an elevation higher than the opposite side of the canopy .to which the shroud lines in group 40 are attached; thus permitting air spill and likewise damping out oscillations.

In the form of invention C the structure of the harness H is altered so that two of the suspension straps i2 are of the same length and the other two, preferably rear straps, l2", are of the same length but greater than the length of the strap; l2. This insures that when the shroud lines are connected therewith, during a parachute descent, the canopy will be inclined at its lower peripheral edge to the horizontal for the purpose of gliding the parachute during descent, and thus damping out oscillations.

In the form of parachute construction D the canopy ill is of the same circular construction as the canopy ID in the form of invention A, and the shroud lines are divided into four groups K, L, M, and N. 'The shroud lines measured for the distance r areall of the samedimension in each of groups K, L, and M. However, in the group N the shroud lines for the distancefin may all be of greater length than the length of shroud lines in the groups K, L, and M. Indeed, these shroud lines in the group N may be progressively increased in length, within the group, as is diagrammatically represented in Figure 6. The result of this parachute construction, during a parachute descent, is shown in Figure 5, wherein theportion of the parachute canopy to which the shroud lines in the group N are connected will "be bulged upwardly during a parachute descent; thus permitting air spill and tending to damp out oscillation;

The characteristics of all of the forms of mchute shroud line length would be measured from' the point of attachment of the coupling partson the pack container to the peripheral edge of the parachute, as will be quite obvious to one skill in the art.

' Various changes in the shape, size, and arof a parachute canopy, shroud lines, and a harness having front and rear non-extensible suspension webs of unequal lengths to the ends of I claim:

1. In parachute apparatus the combination of a circular type parachute canopy, a parachute V harness having lift webs, and shroud lines con-, which the shroud lines are connected in grouped necting the parachute harness with the canopy, relation the front webs being the shortest and the n said shroud lines being non-extensible in length shroud lines having fixedconnectlop with-both from the point of their connection with the lift the canopy and webs. M webs of the harness to the point of their connec- 4. In a parachute construction a circular tion with the margin of the parachute, some of. canopy, a harness having lift webs, and shroud said slfroud. lines from the margin of the paralines connected with the canopy and with the 10 chute-to their connection with the lift webs of harness for supporting a load, a few of the K the harness being longer than others to permit shroud lines which are in adjacent relation being uniform lateral upward deflection of the canopy relatively longer than the other shroudlinesat the point of connection with' the longerwed,fygmrtheedge fif'mute canopy swgg pillgt thg pomt. to the point of their connection with the lift webs 15 2. In aparac ute the combination of a canop of the harness, said shroud lines having fixed a parachute harness having lift webs, and shroud connections with the canopy and with the lift lines which are non-extensible and non-adjust,- webs of the harness whereby the portion of the able in length connecting the canopy with the canopy to which the longer shroud lines are conlift webs of the harness, said shroud lines pronected will bulge and assume a tilted position 20 gressively increasing in length around each side without any action on the part of the operator of. the parachute measured from their connection during a parachute descent, whereby to enable with the lil t webs of the parachute harness ji thewthelparachutecancpy taglidewitha'teW periplYfahedgepf-thacanopyrdamp out oscillations.

3. In a parachute construction the combination JOSEPH HARBIT POOL. 25

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